


Reassurance

by CelesteFitzgerald



Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Love Bites, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:00:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23419360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelesteFitzgerald/pseuds/CelesteFitzgerald
Summary: After the band leaves Ringo behind in the hospital while they go on tour, Ringo finally reunites with them. He's happy to be back, he really is, but he can't shake the feeling that if the group left him behind once, they'd do it again. Luckily, George knows the best way to get those silly fears out of Ringo's head.
Relationships: George Harrison/Ringo Starr
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	Reassurance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Iamonly17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamonly17/gifts).



> A gift for the wonderful Iamonly17 <3 
> 
> Story takes place while the Beatles + Jimmie Nicol go on tour without Ringo in 1964 when Ringo got tonsillitis.

It should have been a happy moment to reunite with the group in Australia after being trapped in the hospital for weeks, but Ringo’s happiness was short-lived. Sure, the other three were glad he was back—they had even bought him gifts from other stops on the tour—but if they had gone on with the tour without him once, they would do it again. And before long, it would be the faces of John, Paul, George, and Jimmie plastered on the front pages of the magazines, and Ringo would be left forgotten, a mere stepping-stone in the others’ path to greater stardom—

“Ritchie.”

Ringo snapped back to reality at the sound of George’s voice. He looked toward the other side of the hotel bed and saw George sitting up, not lying down like he had been minutes before.

“You’ve been staring into space all the time over the past two days,” George said. “What’s wrong?”

“Ahh, ‘s nothing,” Ringo said. “Still feeling a bit ill.”

George hummed, but didn’t move. Well, if George wasn’t going to move on, Ringo would do it for him. Ringo turned back to the edge of the bed and started standing up to head to the bathroom—

George’s arms wrapped around his waist and gently pulled him back onto the bed. “You know we missed you like crazy, right?” George whispered against Ringo’s neck as he pulled Ringo into his lap, with Ringo’s back pressed firmly against George’s chest. “It’s not the same without you.”

Shivering at the tickle of George’s breath, Ringo sighed. “Sure, it’s not the same—but what if they think it’s better?”

George narrowed his eyes. “If _who_ thinks it’s better?”

“I dunno,” Ringo shrugged. “The fans—”

“If they like Jimmie better than you, then they’re no fans of ours.”

“Or John and Paul—”

“If they want you out, they’ll have to say goodbye to me, too.”

Ringo cracked a small smile.

“Is that all?” George asked, pressing a small kiss to Ringo’s neck.

Ringo took a breath. “…Yeah.”

George raised a hand to Ringo’s chin to turn Ringo’s head toward him. Then he waited. Ringo held George’s eye contact for as long as he could, but his nerves got the better of him and his eyes flickered away—

“Ritchie,” George whispered. “You don’t honestly think I could ever want you out of the group, do you?”

“I—I just—” Ringo mumbled, wishing he could deny what George had suggested. But he couldn’t bring himself to lie to George.

“Hey,” George said, grabbing Ringo’s waist and helping him spin around so that they were facing each other. “You know I’m terribly, _desperately_ in love with you, right? As long as I have a say in it, you’re not going anywhere—and neither am I.”

Ringo sighed. “And I know that. But then shit like this happens and gets me all worked up about it, and…” he looked down, “…I just wish I could be absolutely sure.”

“Then you’re lucky that I _am_ absolutely sure,” George said, leaning in for a real kiss. He wrapped his hand around the back of Ringo’s neck and glided his fingertips over the delicate skin as their lips met. The touch of George’s hand was soft, but his lips were firm, confidently moving against Ringo’s.

“You’re _our_ Ringo,” George said, moving away from Ringo’s lips and leaving a trail of kisses from his chin down to his neck. “We’re never letting you go—no one else can do what you do,” George whispered, his breath delightfully warm on Ringo’s neck. “You’re ours,” he repeated before darting his tongue out to slide it against the skin at the bottom of Ringo’s neck. “You’re _mine_.”

At those words, George pressed his lips against the base of Ringo’s neck and began sucking. Ringo gasped and twisted his fingers in George’s shirt as George continued—then George bit down lightly as he sucked, and Ringo let out a true moan.

Ringo moved one of his hands to George’s hair, pushing his head forward. George took the hint and sucked harder as he moved to the next spot, leaving a chain of marks along the bottom of Ringo’s neck. With George’s mouth all over him, Ringo could barely remember what had been bothering him. Then George breathed against his neck and kissed each one of the marks he had made, and the only word Ringo could think of was _George_.

* * *

Ringo awoke the next morning wrapped in George’s arms. He would have loved to stay there forever, but the tour wasn’t over—they couldn’t relax quite yet. Carefully, Ringo slipped away from George’s warmth, leaving George to sleep for a few more minutes as he got ready for the day.

But by the time Ringo had finished washing up in the bathroom, George was awake and dressed. “How are you feeling?” George asked, crossing the room to give Ringo a swift kiss.

As their lips pulled apart, Ringo smiled. “Fabulous.”

George brushed his hand across Ringo’s cheek before heading into the bathroom himself. Ringo was adjusting his tie in the mirror when George called out to him again. “You’re not still thinking we want you out of the group, are you?” George asked.

While Ringo considered George’s question, he caught sight of a dark bruise peeking out from under his collar. “Nah, I’m not worried,” Ringo said.

“Good,” George said. “But if you ever need more reassurance, I’m happy to help.”

Ringo undid the top button of his shirt and opened the collar, admiring the string of love bites George had left across his neck. “I think I have all the reassurance I need for now,” Ringo said, tracing a finger over the beautiful marks. “But I might need a bit more in a few days.”


End file.
